small v8 (size)

[350Matt]

Wotcha

would I be right in thinking that the good old rover V8 is still one of the smallest V8's about in terms of external dimensions ?
I know she's old, doesn't like rpm and not that powerful for its size but its very cheap and small and will still make 250Bhp without a lot of trouble

any other ideas?

[stevieturbo]

350Matt said:

Wotcha

would I be right in thinking that the good old rover V8 is still one of the smallest V8's about in terms of external dimensions ?
I know she's old, doesn't like rpm and not that powerful for its size but its very cheap and small and will still make 250Bhp without a lot of trouble

any other ideas?

Depends in what respect you mean small.

Some aspects are small, but it has a long front nose. Throw a carb etc onto it, and it becomes quite tall.

Unless you're leaving it standard, or you get a good engine for free, they really dont represent great value for money any more, especially if you want a little power.

Some of the iron or alloy 4.8 or 5.3 LS variant engines are virtually same external dimensions as the RV8. Maybe a little shorter depending on pump etc used, and a fraction wider.
But a massively better engine. They pop up in the UK for around £1-1500 depending on which model
That's an easy 300bhp all day long with lots of potential.

RV8 really doesnt come close.

There are other engines smaller in some respects, bigger in others. Just depends really.

[plasticman]

The cerbera AJP v8 is much smaller than the rover , makes between 300 and 500 hp and pretty cheap if you just go for a 4.2 .

[RichardD]

What about the bike based V8 engines like Powertec? Obviously light, but I'm not sure how physically large they are. Lots of cams compared to a RV8 or LS/SBC/SBF.

[Krikkit]

RichardD said:

What about the bike based V8 engines like Powertec? Obviously light, but I'm not sure how physically large they are. Lots of cams compared to a RV8 or LS/SBC/SBF.

Powertec is apparently 546x513x440mm (LxWxH), but how many ancillaries this covers I don't know.

According to this, LS3 is about 700x675x700mm with all ancillaries.

Edited by Krikkit on Thursday 19th September 15:38

[packman10_4]

Id seriously look at the old Lexus V8. All alley and with minnimal work a easy
screeming 300hp ....

[CrutyRammers]

packman10_4 said:

Id seriously look at the old Lexus V8. All alley and with minnimal work a easy
screeming 300hp ....

Not "small" though. Quad cams means it's wide as all hell.

[Pumaracing]

BMW M60/M62 engine. Twice the number of valves and nearly 300 bhp out of the box.

[OlberJ]

Audi V8's are very short but quite wide.

Where's the constraints?

[350Matt]

mate of mine wants to uprate his mx5 with something multi cylinder - not necesserily after a lot of power just after a great exhaust note and something that can stand 7K rpm

so its a question of whats cheap and small enough to fit under the bonnet

he was considering the alfa v6 but thats a pretty tall engine I think

happy to be proved wrong if anyone knows the alfa densions

[OlberJ]

1uzfe is a well trodden path, bolted to a supra manual box R154.

Look at Bullet Cars from, i think, South America.

Funnily enough, it's in my fantasy garage because i will build one one day. Just might be in a MEV exocet body now instead.

[chuntington101]

350Matt said:

mate of mine wants to uprate his mx5 with something multi cylinder - not necesserily after a lot of power just after a great exhaust note and something that can stand 7K rpm

so its a question of whats cheap and small enough to fit under the bonnet

he was considering the alfa v6 but thats a pretty tall engine I think

happy to be proved wrong if anyone knows the alfa densions

LS engine then! there are even kits out there.

[350Matt]

nice solution but too expensive chap

this is a budget build so don't want to have to go changing transmission and loads of other stuff for 350 bhp which he doens't want anyway

hence my original thoughts about a RV8

[CrutyRammers]

350Matt said:

mate of mine wants to uprate his mx5 with something multi cylinder - not necesserily after a lot of power just after a great exhaust note and something that can stand 7K rpm

so its a question of whats cheap and small enough to fit under the bonnet

he was considering the alfa v6 but thats a pretty tall engine I think

happy to be proved wrong if anyone knows the alfa densions

Well, as it happens
The fruits of my research when I was looking for an engine for my Dax, the Alfa measurements and quite a few others are on there:
http://alfadax.com/content/before/engine_choice1.h...

Alfa v6 as measured by me:
Width across the heads | 545mm | Taken at the rear of the engine
Width across the Cam belt pullies | 565mm| This is the widest point
Length |570mm |From the front of the crank pulley to the rear of the clutch cover. Note that the throttle assembly, flexible inlet pipe and air flow sensor will add considerably to this, but is all on top of the engine.
Height |680mm |Bottom of sump to the top of the plenum

[300bhp/ton]

350Matt said:

nice solution but too expensive chap

this is a budget build so don't want to have to go changing transmission and loads of other stuff for 350 bhp which he doens't want anyway

hence my original thoughts about a RV8

If it's a budget build, then will an Alfa V6 bolt up to the existing transmission? And which V6 are you referring too, the newer one isn't the same engine. And aren't most Alfa V6's mid engined. I wonder how this will affect location of the accessories and such.

I'm all for engine swaps and custom builds, but if you can't fabricate, then even simple things can be a pita. Swapping in a 200Tdi into a 2.5TD LR 90 needed some thinking about. I've also swapped a 3.5 RV8 into a TR7, which is now being replaced with a serpentine 3.9 RV8. Just moving to the serpentine version of the RV8 has caused headaches.

[RichardD]

350Matt said:

... RV8

There seems to be a spare one of these sat on a pellet in a corner of my garage!

[Sardonicus]

LS400 Lexus 1UZFE lump every time an engineering masterpiece the only thing I have ever done to one of these was leaking cam cover gaskets and they like a water pump with big mileage the will go 3 times round the clock maintained correctly salvage yards give them away for peanuts inc looms and ECU's they just cant shift them as mentioned already its a known conversion, if for what ever reason my Tiv at to go I would do this for a cheap project http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6I3xJuY9i8http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1...

[Snake the Sniper]

The most common set up is the KLDE Mazda V6, for which there is even a lass in Leicester who makes a tubular subframe, gear box adaptor plate and so on so you can still use the MX-5 box too. The engine's tiny, lighter than the MX-5 four pot, spins to 8Krpm and with ITBs will make 200+BHP.

That good enough?

[300bhp/ton]

Snake the Sniper said:

The most common set up is the KLDE Mazda V6, for which there is even a lass in Leicester who makes a tubular subframe, gear box adaptor plate and so on so you can still use the MX-5 box too. The engine's tiny, lighter than the MX-5 four pot, spins to 8Krpm and with ITBs will make 200+BHP.

That good enough?

Sounds like a nice little conversion. What vehicles run these motors? Are they the little 1.8 V6 from the MX-3?

That said, if the op, or op's buddy is wanting an OHV V8 rumble, as good as this V6 appears, it won't even be remotely close in a noise sense.

[CrutyRammers]

Sardonicus said:

LS400 Lexus 1UZFE lump every time an engineering masterpiece the only thing I have ever done to one of these was leaking cam cover gaskets and they like a water pump with big mileage the will go 3 times round the clock maintained correctly salvage yards give them away for peanuts inc looms and ECU's they just cant shift them as mentioned already its a known conversion, if for what ever reason my Tiv at to go I would do this for a cheap project http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6I3xJuY9i8http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1...

Is everyone missing the word "small" in the OP?
The 1uzfe is enormous.